Simple Or: Ella's Prince
by BixIsHere
Summary: Glass Believer One Shot. After they didn't find a dragon to slay, Henry disappears for a few days. When he returns, something has changed. 7x16 Canon and added scenes. Based on a prompt to write the proposal from Ella's POV.


**AN: I was prompted to write the proposal from Ella's point of view. I hope you enjoy! Feedback is very welcome.  
More notes below.**

* * *

He had rarely addressed her so courtly.  
"Milady Ella, would You do me the honor and accompany me on a ride?"

He had been gone for three days. Ella was surprised by his request, to say the least, but she felt an importance behind it. Tiana was as startled, but nudged her to get up. So she had accepted his outstretched hand and followed him to the steeds. Somewhere in the corner of her eye she noticed Hook doing a terrible attempt at hiding a grin.

Henry didn't talk much on their ride, and completely deflected any questions as to where he and Hook had been, as well as where they were going now. She figured she'd find out soon enough, so she humored him and stopped the questions.  
Instead, she enjoyed riding Felipe and clearing her head from the different strategies Tiana and her had been discussing during the day.  
She allowed herself a few side glances at him though. How he rode his horse, a smile dancing over his face and in his golden laced attire, he did look like the Prince he was by blood, if not exactly by upbringing.

He carried a weird air about him – something ceremonial.

At a clearing, Henry halted his steed and slid off it, and so she followed his example. While she fixed her cape, he came up to her side. And just for a moment, he lost his royal composure.

"Um.", he stated with his embarrassed grin, "I'd need you to close your eyes and let me lead you."

"Mills, if this is not living up to all the secrecy, you'll regret it." Ella teased, but she obeyed. She intertwined her fingers with his and closed her eyes.

"I will, indeed I will," Henry mumbled, more to himself than to her, and started walking.

His nerves radiated off him, but more than just that. Now even more palpable, with her eyes closed: Whatever had happened while he was gone, he seemed both more nervous and more sure of himself.

But Ella knew him quite well by now, and she knew he'd tell her about it when the time had come. He always did. He treated her as a confidant and as an equal, as so little other men did. Together, they had found a balance between doing and talking, sharing and listening, leading and being led. As her foot got caught in a root, she was reminded of just which end she was at right now.

"Oh, sorry, sorry Ella. You ok?"

Henry had reached out to steady her and his touch burned into her arms.  
"Yeah, I am – but it's taking all my will power to keep my eyes shut right now-" to not look in what must be an adorable display of worry and care.

"Well, it's only ten more steps."

* * *

He pulled her further, made sure she stood safely, then hustled around her to cover her eyes from behind.  
His breath tickled in her neck and he exhaled deeply before he lifted his hands.

"Surprise."

Finally she would be enlightened. About time.

She found herself in front of a quiet lake. She spun around to fully take the place in. Whatever it was, it must be of importance to him.

"Where is this?"

"It's a very pretty lake."

He gestured about a little awkwardly. Was that all?  
"I thought you were taking my somewhere famous" she bounced off her feet and started her way around the lake. There had to be more to this, and she'd get to the bottom of it. "Was there a battle around here?"

"Nope… and no one famous every died here or cast a curse…", his long legs caught up with her without problem and with the same ease, his hand found its familiar spot between her shoulder blades. "This may be the one place in the entire magical kingdom, where nothing epic ever happened", he stated clearly and simply. So he didn't bring her here because of the history of the place. Somehow, that made her very happy. It was something only for the two of them, then.

"Well, it's gorgeous, and it doesn't need anything else"

"Ella." By taking her hand, he stopped her march.

He took a moment to step from one foot to the other. He regained his posture, but the nerves stayed. Was now the moment she'd find out why?

"I don't know how my story goes. I wasn't born in a land with magic and I may not get a fairy tale life with a perfect ending, but you -"  
Wherever this was going, there was suddenly a passion in his eyes, burning right into her soul.

"- are the best and bravest woman that I have ever met." The heat behind his eyes didn't cease, and the smile she had seen dancing over his face earlier finally broke fully, and settled. It carried love and happiness, and also pride.

And it hit her. His love for her was written in his features and she had an inkling of why they were here. But before she could get scared, he continued.

"If you could make a leap of faith with me,"

Her heart skipped a beat. _He wants you. He wants you, not just for today and tomorrow, he wants you for a lifetime._

 _It means I'm willing to take a risk._

 _"-_ I'd like to build a house right here. For the two of us. And we can see what kind of life we can make together."

And he was so sure of that. His jaw twitched a little, between each sentence. As it did when he suggested his preferred strategy for combat. As it did when he told Hook that _we will find a cure, you and Alice will be together again._ She'd come to know this twitch, and now his jaw twitched because he was asking her to build a future with him. Her chest tensed with a range of emotion and her cheeks felt as though they were about to fall off from smiling so hard.

He broke from their eye contact and reached into his sleeve.

Seeing the ring made it undeniable and suddenly Ella couldn't control her breathing anymore. It was simple and beautiful and it made her so _happy_.  
Henry's voice also became a little breathier. "It's just a pretty ring. Like me and this lake" - did he just call himself pretty? - "it doesn't come with anything else."

All of his insecurities and all his passion lay within this and the following sentence.

"Ella, I can't offer you a legend. But I can offer you my heart." _  
The heart of the Truest Believer._

"Can I say yes now?!" It's all she could put to words. They didn't compare to his, they were simple, but simple was enough for today.

"I really wish you would" he laughs.

"Yes!"

It was a perfect fit. They both couldn't help but chuckle as he slipped this very simple, very beautiful ring on her hand.

He caressed her hand, and he looked so relieved. She could feel his love washing over her and she only hoped, he did hers, too. She leaned in for a kiss, because that was how to tell him. She wasn't as good with words, but she puts her lips to use none the less.

* * *

They stayed a while and savored the moment. Henry's arms wrapped tightly around her, she felt so safe. Her hands rested on his chest as he took one breath after another. So many breaths he had taken before he met her. And so many breaths were yet to come. And he chose to share as many of these with her.

"Henry?"

"Yes, Heart?"

That was a new one.

"What did you do the past few days? Something about you is different."

He chuckled. "I… Well I set out to find one thing and then found another."

She only tilted her head sideways.

"Hook and I set out to find me a ring for you. When you think something has changed, don't think it's my feelings about you. They were the same before. What _has_ changed are my feelings about myself. I wanted to be able to offer you legends... to have a meaningful ring and a meaningful place to propose to you at. But the search went very differently from what I expected."

As they made their way back to their horses, Henry laid out how Hook wanted to help, and how that led them right in the storm of an old pirate's rage. And how in midst of it all Henry realized one thing.

"I can't wait for my life to look like the stories my family told me. If I truly want to find my story, I just have to live it. The hero never knows he is in the middle of his legend already anyways, right?"

"Well you should know – you're the collector of all these stories."  
"Right. But beyond that… Ella, I don't care if my life ever turns into a _story_ anymore. My life is great – because I have many people with me I love and that love me. And because I have you. And if I just have you for the rest of my life, it will be great."

She only stared at her feet strutting over the forest grounds for a few moments before she found her voice again.

"Henry, I don't know about stories. If I hadn't met you, I wouldn't even know I was a character from a tale. And even now, I certainly don't feel so." She had stopped, and Henry stood right by her side. "But I know what I feel instead. Even though I never hoped I would be, I'm happy." She met his eyes – maybe they could deliver everything her words couldn't. Her love, her respect for him. How his deep belief in love and hope had inspired herself to start believing again. He had overcome his insecurities and she wanted to give him no reason for them to ever return.

"I'm happy because I met you.  
Then again, that may be no surprise… you told me for _my_ story I'd need to find a prince..."

He beamed at her. There was only a small distance for him to cross, and his lips found hers again, and it was simple and it was beautiful.

They continued walking, hands intertwined once again, but now there was also the silver band around her finger. And it was a promise, of not having to compete with anything but their own happiness.

* * *

 **AN: Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave a thought or a feedback, I'd much apprechiate it!**  
 **Also, here are some outtakes - I really liked these paragraphs, but they cluttered the text or were just to extra :D  
**

 **Ella was surprised, to say the least, but she felt an importance behind his request. So she only exchanged a startled gaze with Tiana before she left the war table and accepted his outstretched hand. She traded places with Hook to come to Henry's side. Who, by the way, did a terrible job hiding a grin. From behind, she heard Tiana chuckle. Hook and here were probably making eyes at each other again.**

 **He did look like the Prince he was by blood, if not by upbringing. There was so much mysterious about him – how much he knew about her world and so many others, and his sense of adventure. And how sometimes, when he was tired or lost in thought, he'd slouch like a son of an inn owner.**

 **"Can I say yes now?!" It's all she can put to words. They don't compare to his. She can't name her admiration for him. He, that trusts in happy endings, who always hold up hope for a silver lining. He, that loves with all he learned and without doubt, because he believes in love. So much so he encouraged her to be willing to take this risk. She would never be able to phrase that, and so her words are simple. But simple is enough for today.**


End file.
